1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a thermoelectric device, a thermoelectric module including the device, a thermoelectric apparatus including the thermoelectric module, and methods of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a thermoelectric module having improved thermal and mechanical stability.
2. Description of the Related Art
A thermoelectric phenomenon is a reversible, direct energy conversion from heat to electricity and vice versa. The thermoelectric phenomenon refers to a phenomenon in which a phonon transfers when electrons and holes move in a thermoelectric material, or a phenomenon in which electrons or holes move due to heat transfer to provide an electrical current. The thermoelectric phenomenon includes the Peltier effect and the Seebeck effect. The Peltier effect can be used in a cooling system, which operates based on a temperature difference at opposite ends of a material due to a current applied thereto from the outside, and the Seebeck effect can be used to provide a power-generation system, which operates based on an electromotive force generated by a temperature difference at opposite ends of a material. These effects are reversible phenomena.
A thermoelectric device that induces the thermoelectric phenomenon may be used to provide a thermoelectric module, e.g., a Peltier device, to provide a thermoelectric cooler. The thermoelectric device can absorb heat from a low-temperature heat source and transfer the heat to a high-temperature heat source, and also can generate power due to a temperature difference between opposite ends of a thermoelectric material. Accordingly, the thermoelectric device is getting attention as a new regeneration energy source. A thermoelectric power generation material is applicable to a part dissipating heat in engines of vehicles and industrial plants.
There remains a need for materials for thermoelectric modules which provide improved thermal and mechanical stability.